Liam Hopen

Darren Ferguson feels the might of the strike forces of some of the division’s perennial strugglers shows just how difficult a task League One is this season.

Doncaster Rovers bounced back to winning ways with a battling victory against a Bury side which started with Jermaine Beckford and Michael Smith in attack.

And boss Ferguson says the quality of attackers now in the division shows there can be little margin for error.

“I do feel it’s a hard league,” he said.

“You look at Beckford and Smith up front for Bury and then Oldham, who I watched them play earlier in the week, have Eoin Doyle and Curtis Davies. That’s unheard of for those two clubs and that’s no disrespect.

“You’re up against a different level and we’ve got to get used to that.

“When we’ve made errors this season we’ve been punished.

“But against Bury we dug it out and dug in and everyone was very much together.

“As a club we are [together] and I think that’s the most important thing.

“We stick together and we grind these periods through.”

Ben Whiteman’s 78th minute strike was enough for Rovers to earn victory over Bury, who went down to ten men after Eoghan O’Connell was sent off in first half stoppage time.

It was a dogged, composed and patient performance from a Rovers side that had come in for criticism for the manner in which they capitulated against Walsall the previous week.

Ferguson is now urging his team to string together consistent results, with positive performances the bonus.